Floodplain Administration

The City of Frisco participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). As a participating community, the City has adopted Floodplain Management practices through several ordinances that severely limit the development allowed in 100-year floodplains (the area inundated by a storm that has a 1% chance of happening in any year). For property with any portion located within the 100-year floodplain, regardless of structure location, a flood insurance policy may be required.

City of Frisco Standards require all new structures be constructed two feet above the adjacent water surface elevation of the 100-year floodplain. Additionally, the City requires that no portion of any residential lot be included in the 100-year floodplain. When developing along a major creek within the City of Frisco, the developer must submit a Flood Study to the City showing the 100-year floodplain and water surface elevation based on both current land-use and future land-use assumptions.

Flood Insurance Rate MapsFlood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) delineate the floodplains throughout the United States and are used by lenders and insurance companies to determine if your property is in a floodplain. The FIRMs for the City of Frisco were last published in January 1996. Paper copies are available for viewing at the Engineering Services Department or may be viewed and printed online for free at the FEMA Flood Map Store. A sample of the online product, centered on downtown Frisco, may be viewed as a PDF by clicking here.

FEMA, with the cooperation of local communities and consulting engineers, is in the process of converting paper FIRMs into digital format and updating them with the latest data. For Collin, Dallas, Denton, and Tarrant Counties, this process began in the spring of 2004. Revised maps are expected to be available by summer 2006 and will be integrated into the City’s Geographic Information System (GIS). This integration will allow property lines and aerial photos to be superimposed over the floodplain delineations for easier floodplain determination.

Letters of Map RevisionsFlood Insurance Rate Maps, like the Frisco landscape, can change. If a developer wishes to alter and/or fill a portion of the floodplain, they must prepare a Flood Study showing no adverse effects or substantial changes in the water surface elevation. This flood study, along with a detailed application, may be submitted to FEMA to be considered for a Letter of Map Revisions. If approved, the Letter of Map Revisions serves as an official revision to the FIRM. Individual property owners may also contest the floodplain designation for their property by submitting information to FEMA.

Since the current FIRMs were published in January of 1996, the City has received nearly 30 approved Letters of Map Revisions within our city limits. Lenders and Insurance Companies are not always aware of these changes, so it may be necessary to call the Engineering Services Department at (972) 292-5400 to determine if the floodplain map for your area has changed and to receive a copy of the change. Many Letters of Map Change can also be obtained online from the FEMA Flood Map Store.